11/06, 4:40pm
Metal-air ionic liquid could extend batteries
A new development by partly government-backed Fluidic Energy could potentially extend the battery life of notebooks, cars and other devices well beyond existing lithium-ion cells. Known as Metal-Air Ionic Liquid (MAIL), it would improve energy storage beyond relatively efficient zinc-air batteries by using an ionic liquid salt to conduct electricity that is much more stable and isn't prone to drying out either by accident or by eventual decay. The move would let battery makers use metals denser than zinc and therefore hold a much larger charge in a given volume.
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10/29, 6:00pm
Apps on Win 7 PCs still slow vs Apple
A series of tests have revealed that even newer Windows 7 PCs are being bogged down by unnecessary software that makes them run much more slowly than Macs. Comparing factory versions of several notebooks versus clean models, PC Pro finds that Acer and Sony systems take about two whole minutes more to boot because of the "crapware," or third-party utilities and trial apps, preloaded out of the box. They also consume roughly 1GB more extra active RAM and also rob the system of as much as 2.4GB of space in Acer's case.
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10/28, 5:50pm
Apple trips may hint major hardware in 2010
Apple engineers are scaling up the number of trips to China to prepare for new products, a rumor indicates this evening. Visits to the Asian manufacturing base are reported by SAI as accelerating and may even include trips during the holidays. The exact nature of the trips isn't mentioned other than that at least one system integration engineer has been one of those making the trips.
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10/25, 10:15pm
MacBook Pro 6,1 and 6,2 in new firmware
The latest beta seed of Mac OS X 10.6.2 has references to new Apple portables, a Spanish site has found today. Entries exist in the 10C531 build that make references to "MacBook Pro 6,1" and MacBook Pro 6,2," neither of which exists in the market. Current MacBook Pros range between 5,1 and 5,5.
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10/20, 10:50pm
13-inch MacBook Pro drops to $1,300
Coinciding with Apple’s latest release of new Macs and accessories, the Canadian stores have made an additional change by dropping the price on its line of MacBook computers by up to $300. On the list are five different MacBook Pros, with the entry-level model dropping from $1,400 to $1,300. The most expensive 17-inch variant, previously available for $2,900, now costs just $2,600. The 13-inch with a 2.53GHz processor dropped by $150 down to $1,600, while the 2.53GHz, 15-inch Pro has been reduced from $2,000 to $1,800.
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09/29, 2:35pm
Incident matches reports from Apple online store
MacNN reader Robert-Anthony Bunoan has voiced frustration with Apple after the battery in his 17-inch MacBook Pro reportedly swelled to the point of rupturing the case. The notebook was approximately two years old, with a removable battery instead of the integrated lithium-polymer design featured in the latest aluminum-unibody models.
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09/23, 11:10am
Product still unannounced by Apple
Over a fifth of the public may be interested in buying Apple's rumored tablet device, says RBC Capital Markets' Mike Abramsky. The analyst notes that in a recent survey of 3,100 people, 21 percent expressed interest in buying the tablet, despite the lack of an announcement by Apple, or even a detailed set of rumored features. The anticipation is considerably higher than the 9 percent measured for the iPhone in April 2007, says Abramsky.
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09/17, 6:25am
Python blur backpack for creative professionals
Booq has introduced its latest backpack designed for creative professionals, the Python blur. The backpack features a ballistic nylon exterior with water resistant coating, as well as semi-rigid EVA foam for added impact protection. It’s designed to fit everything from an SLR camera with lenses, to a laptop, headphones, or various accessories. The camera and accessory compartment come padded for safety, and the collapsible internal divider can be folded down for optimum space.
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09/15, 12:00am
New HP Envies bring Core i7, more
HP this morning revived its sleeping Envy label for two new systems targeted at the same slim but high-speed designs as the MacBook Pro. The Envy 13 and 15 are both housed in aluminum-and-black shells and drop the usual optical drive to shed weight and thickness: the 13-inch model is relatively light at just over 3.7 pounds and is 0.8 inches thick, while even the larger 15-inch system is slightly over 5.1 pounds and under an inch. Both also draw on Monster's Beats PC audio to produce better built-in audio than most notebooks, get color accurate displays, and have a MacBook-like trackpad nicknamed the "clickpad" that hides the main button underneath the surface.
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09/11, 7:50am
Ballmer mocks using iPhone at Windows meet
Microsoft chief Steve Ballmer later on Thursday lightly teased an iPhone owner at a company meeting. According to witnesses that include Twitter anecdotes and a TechFlash reporter, the executive spotted a Windows team member using the Apple device to snap a photo and joked about his using the device before gently putting the phone on the ground and pretending to stomp it before moving on. He later made a similarly joking reference to the event during the presentation.
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09/10, 10:45pm
Microsoft's first TV spot for Windows 7
Microsoft tonight reversed course on its ad strategy with the launch of its first Windows 7 ad. The 30-second TV spot (seen below) draws on the same little girl, Kylie, that starred in a Windows Live Photo Gallery ad in February and avoids the pseudo-realistic but targeted anti-Apple attacks that have characterized the "Laptop Hunters" ads. Instead, the commercial is uniformly positive and has Kylie say she's discovered "happy" words about Windows 7 from reviews, which she then puts into a slideshow using Windows Movie Maker.
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09/10, 5:40pm
Matrox MXO2 LE
Matrox this evening launched a new portable breakout box aimed specifically at Mac users editing at a pro level with Final Cut Studio. The MXO2 LE takes SDI, component, RCA and 10-bit HDMI video input from cameras or other sources and puts them in formats immediately usable by Color, Final Cut Pro and other apps in the suite, such as Apple's in-house ProRes 4:2:2 HQ format. It can also work with non-Apple software like After Effects and uses an XLR power input, making it friendly to a MacBook Pro at a video shoot where XLR may be more common than AC outlets.
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09/09, 8:55pm
Unibody FIN foot/handle combo launches
Fins-Up has launched the FIN for aluminum-unibody MacBooks and MacBook Pros. The FIN is a powder-coated aluminum foot that doubles as a handle when transporting or loading/unloading the notebook. The accessory offers a single-piece design that attaches via screws in existing holes on the bottom of the MacBook -- it uses no glue or tape, avoiding damage to the finish while enabling easy removal.
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09/07, 6:55pm
New MacBook Pros exhibit Boot Camp sound problems
Several Owners of Apple's latest MacBook Pro offerings in the 13- and 15-inch screen sizes have reported speaker failures when running Windows via Boot Camp. The problems have affected many gamers who use Mac OS X for daily computing, then switch to Windows to play games. The problem appears to have begun with Boot Camp v2.1, which was launched in June, while the recent v3.0 release, designed for Snow Leopard, has not alleviated the widespread issues.
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09/04, 11:50am
Discs ejected before they can run
A continuing problem with the optical drives in Mac notebooks is now preventing people from installing Snow Leopard, according to discussions on Apple's support forums. Affected systems may initially accept a disc, only to eject it without mounting. Within the problem group machines may reject all discs, only DVDs, or only some particular DVDs. The Snow Leopard upgrade is sold only on DVDs.
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09/02, 3:15pm
MyService upgrades MBP
Apple service provider MyService has launched a 750GB MacBook Pro hard disk upgrade. The company is providing round-trip shipping, installation of the drive, and full data transfer. In particular the new drive is a 5400rpm Scorpio Blue model from Western Digital. Its height slightly exceeds the standard 9.5mm for 2.5-inch drives, but still fits in the computers accepted by MyService.
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08/19, 7:10pm
MBP Firmware Update 2.0
Apple on Wednesday released Hard Drive Firmware Update 2.0, which addresses issues with 7200-rpm, 500GB MacBook Pro drives. Users were reporting that their computer would freeze for several seconds, before beeping and clicking. These are reportedly signs of overworked reading mechanisms. Apple released a statement last week saying it was working towards a solution to the problem.
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08/16, 10:40pm
Matte display MBP photos
Photo comparisons between the glossy and matte- 15-inch MacBook Pro displays have been posted in a MacRumors forum. The photographs detail the difference in glare between the two models. The new matte display notebooks replace the glossy glass screen and bezel with a metal bezel and a separate anti-glare panel. Inknoise, the user who posted the pictures suggests they "kind of miss the nice glossy look on rare occasions," but goes on to say there is a prominent value to the matte display when using it outside.
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08/12, 3:15pm
AirPort client update
Apple has posted a small but significant update to its AirPort client software for MacBooks and MacBook Pros. The new version fixes problems created by Mac OS X 10.5.8, which can potentially affect AirPort networking performance while a notebook is running on battery power. The update is 1.68MB, and can only be installed on 13-inch MacBooks launched between late 2007 and late 2008, 15-inch MacBook Pros from early 2008, and 17-inch MacBook Pros released any time last year.
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08/12, 9:20am
MacBook refurb price cuts
Apple is offering several new discounts on refurbished MacBooks ordered through its online store. A 13-inch unibody MacBook, equipped with a 2GHz Core 2 Duo, 2GB of RAM and a 160GB hard drive, is now being sold for $899 with free shipping. The model is also notable for LED backlighting, and a one-year limited warranty.
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08/11, 7:05am
15in MacBook Pro Matte LCD
Apple on Tuesday quietly addressed the concerns of some notebook buyers by adding a matte display option for the 15-inch MacBook Pro. Similar to the choice that launched with the 17-inch model (pictured), the feature replaces the glossy glass screen and bezel with a more conventional metal bezel and separate anti-glare panel. The option is available across all three 15-inch systems.
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08/10, 12:30pm
Fix coming for MBP HDDs
A software fix is enroute for MacBook Pro owners encountering frequent hard drive stalling, according to Apple spokesman Bill Evans. The problem affects 7200rpm, 500GB drives, freezing a Pro for several seconds before allowing normal operation. Stalls are typically preceded by a beep, and several clicks indicating overworked reading mechanisms.
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08/07, 4:10pm
ProTouch keyboard guards
iSkin has launched new ProTouch keyboard protectors for the MacBook, MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. The skins come in three different forms: the Classic, FX and Vibes. Each is made of silicone and designed to prevent dust, food, liquids and hairs from affecting a keyboard, along with general wear. They can also be used to diminish typing noise, and make cleaning easier through handwashing.
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08/06, 1:30pm
Newer ships new gear
Newer Technology has launched its NewerTech Intelligent Battery Charging Stations for 13-inch Unibody MacBook and 15-inch MacBook Pros released prior to June, 2009. The charger/conditioner models, claimed to be the first-to-market, feature two battery bays for charging multiple batteries. One battery can be charged while another is being conditioned prior to charging.
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08/05, 5:40pm
iPhone and Flash Mem Spike
Apple's voracious use of NAND flash memory for iPhones could be the key spark in the entire industry over the next few years, iSuppli said today in a new study. The smartphone's existence is estimated to help multiply revenue in the business by 5.6 times from its 2008 numbers to $932.5 million by 2013. Much of this comes from Apple's insistence on stepping up the amount of memory with each upgrade. By pushing the capacity of the iPhone up by four from 8GB to 32GB, the company not only demands more memory itself but is indirectly pushing up the amount of memory others need to carry to remain competitive.
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07/24, 9:45am
MS Tunes Laptop Hunter Ads
Microsoft has quietly toned down its Laptop Hunter ads to reflect the reduced argument it has against Apple, the company noted late yesterday. While the extent of its changes aren't exactly known, the company has posted a new version of its "Lauren & Sue" ad that omits references to a $2,000 MacBook Pro and now only makes an indirect attack, suggesting that Mac users are "paying a lot for the brand." The ad sees Lauren ultimately buying a $972 Dell Studio XPS 13 and drew criticism for deliberately choosing to include a comparison between this and the larger, faster 15-inch MacBook Pro instead of the then-current $1,299 aluminum MacBook.
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07/22, 10:10am
NPD on June MacBooks
This June saw a 25 percent jump in US MacBook sales as compared the same month last year, says NPD Group analyst Stephen Baker. The growth is attributed to Apple's revised MacBook Pro line, which has not only changed specifications but absorbed some basic MacBooks, and fallen in price. "The Apple marketing machine is firing on all cylinders," says Baker. "With almost every launch of new machines, sales get a boost."
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07/21, 4:30pm
Speck ships upgraded cases
Speck has launched updated versions of its See Thru and See Thru Satin cases for MacBooks and MacBook Pros, including 13- and 15-inch sizes. The cases accommodate design changes in the new Pros, while retaining compatibility with the previous generation of unibody notebooks. Case construction involves two translucent hard shells, which snap into place to protect a computer from bumps and scratches.
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07/17, 2:40pm
Novatel PC770 at Verizon
Verizon this afternoon added a rare two-in-one modem to its 3G adapters. Novatel's PC770 has a nested design that can either work as an ExpressCard/34 adapter for some modern notebooks or, with an adapter, fits into older systems with PC Card slots. It supports up to EVDO Revision A speeds and uses technology from Novatel that reportedly helps maintain speed during simultaneous two-way traffic.
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07/16, 7:15am
MS denies Apple request
Microsoft's Chief Operating Officer, Kevin Turner, claimed at the company's Worldwide Partner Conference that Apple lawyers have asked Microsoft to stop its Laptop Hunter ad campaign. Turner said he received a phone call from Apple lawyers who argued that the ads were no longer accurate as it had reduced its computer pricing, particularly for the MacBook Pro. Rather than comply, however, he expressed enthusiasm at the result.
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07/15, 4:30pm
IDC Prelim Q2 2009
Apple has sunk a full position in the US computer market during the spring, according to early estimates by IDC. The Mac producer is expected to have dropped from fourth place in the winter to fifth in the spring as it should have shipped 12.4 percent fewer computers than it did a year earlier, falling to 1.21 million Macs. Its market share is poised to remain the same at 7.6 percent but will have been eclipsed by Toshiba, which could jump over a full percentage point to ship 7.7 percent of PCs in the US.
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07/15, 11:00am
Verbatim SureFire
Verbatim today catered to those who want high-performance but portable hard drives through the SureFire. Every model has both FireWire 800 and USB 2 ports and will run the 2.5-inch drive inside solely on bus power, particularly suiting it to MacBook Pros that need the full 800Mbps of bandwidth. Their casing is both relatively sturdy and scratch-resistant aluminum.
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07/14, 3:20pm
Multi-touch pad patent
Apple has been granted a critical patent by the US Patent and Trademark Office, covering the company's wide-ratio multi-touch trackpad. The first real-world example of the pad emerged in the beginning of 2008, when it appeared in the MacBook Air. It has since migrated to MacBooks and MacBook Pros, and should remain standard on Apple notebooks for some time.
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07/13, 4:15pm
MBP, C. Display trademarks
Apple has won a collection of important design trademarks from the European Trademark and Design Office, divided between two major products. A full 30 belong to the unibody MacBook Pro, which uses a unique chassis built out of a single block of aluminum. Also covered is the notebook's multi-touch trackpad, which omits a visible button in favor of one situated beneath.
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07/09, 11:05am
SSD Notebooks Hurt
The economic crunch is making a major impact on the viability of solid-state drives in notebooks, according to new research from iSuppli. As prices for the NAND flash memory that form the heart of these drives have in some cases more than doubled -- 128 percent for a 2GB chip -- the costs for the SSDs themselves have gone up proportionately, making it difficult or occasionally impossible to offer an SSD option in a given notebook. The jump is the result of a known shortage triggered by the economy, as companies producing memory deliberately cut production to raise prices and save money.
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07/09, 12:05am
MacBook Pro defect?
(Updated with OWC commentary) Some owners of Apple's latest MacBook Pros with faster 7200RPM hard drives are reporting strange clicking and beeping noises along with performance issues. Though the cause of the problem is unclear, an Apple Support forum has many users suggesting that it is caused by an incompatibility between the Seagate's G-Force protection system and MacBook hardware. Some users have called Apple Support or taken their computers to an Apple Genius Bar both of which have tried fixing the problem by running a "capture" or resetting the computer's PRAM during start up -- neither of these solutions seem to have resolved the issue fully according to users in Apple's support forum.
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07/07, 11:00am
High MacBook Pro demand
The fastest 13-inch MacBook Pro and an entry-level 15-inch model are proving to be particularly popular with Mac shoppers, argues Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster. Shipping delays at the Apple online store are currently between seven to 10 days for the pair, which is said to be unusually significant in that 13-inch MacBooks have not seen similar delays for over two years. At the time, delays were also just five to seven days.
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07/01, 4:55pm
Apple May Drop NVIDIA
Apple and NVIDIA may be engaged in a fierce dispute that could exclude NVIDIA graphics chips from future Macs, according to sources reportedly aware of the talks. They claim to SemiAccurate that Apple views NVIDIA's proposals for renewed deals as "arrogance" and that much of the argument centers on the overheating material that triggered widespread failures in all GeForce 8400M and 8600M mobile graphics chips. The Mac firm has had to extend MacBook Pro warranties for up to three years and may be skeptical of NVIDIA's insistence that newer models aren't at risk of the same problem.
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06/29, 10:50am
Mossberg on MBP batteries
The batteries in Apple's new MacBook Pros hold up to testing, but have some definite tradeoffs, notes Walt Mossberg. The All Things Digital writer recently tested 13- and 15-inch systems, placing their batteries under heavy strain by enabling Wi-Fi, maximizing brightness, disabling all power-saving functions, and looping music playback. The 13-inch computer held out for just under five hours, while the 15-inch model lasted five hours and 21 minutes.
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06/26, 11:35am
3Gbps update problems
A recent Apple firmware update is causing major problems for some MacBook Pro owners, talk on Apple's support forums indicates. The update was intended to bring full 3Gbps throughput to the Pro's SATA controller, after it was discovered that the newest models had been artificially limited to 1.5Gbps. While the cap does not affect conventional hard drives, some SSDs cannot operate at peak speeds without the higher threshold.
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06/22, 9:25pm
MacBook Pro SATA update
Apple on Monday released an EFI firmware update for the MacBook Pro models launched earlier this month. The update brings back support for the 3Gbps SATA specification, although the company warns that it has not offered or qualified drives running at transfer rates higher than 1.5Gbps. Earlier reports indicated the new systems had switched from 3Gbps specifications down to a 1.5Gbps limit.
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06/15, 3:10pm
Apple monitor safety
Australia's Queensland University of Technology has released health-based recommendations for using high-gloss Apple screens, claiming that reflections can lead to users adopting awkward postures, in turn producing injuries. The report takes a fairly negative stance against the glass found in iMacs, MacBooks and MacBook Pros, and also recommends considering a number of factors that could help alleviate or minimize harm. Injury is only a concern however in cases of intense usage, the university suggests.
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06/15, 11:45am
MacBook SATA slowdown
Apple has scaled back the SATA interface speeds in some of its new MacBook Pros, testing reveals. Whereas Pros have typically been equipped with 3Gbps SATA, the new 13- and 15-inch systems have been limited to 1.5Gbps. The 17-inch Pro remains unaffected, along with the MacBook Air and the 13-inch plastic MacBook.
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06/15, 10:05am
NVIDIA GF 200M Mainstream
NVIDIA this morning turned its attention to its mainstream notebook graphics chips by filling out its GeForce 200M range. The GTS 250M and GTS 260M are targeted at desktop replacement class but relatively affordable notebooks with 28W of peak power. They each have 96 visual processor cores and 1GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus. The two only differentiate in clock speed, as the 250M has a 500MHz graphics clock and 1.6GHz memory while the 260M gets a faster 550MHz graphics speed and 1.8GHz for its RAM.
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06/12, 4:35pm
Piper on MacBook cuts
Wall Street firms may be missing out on the true significance of Apple's MacBook price cuts, claims Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster. Prices have fallen several hundred dollars in some cases, which Munster argues should mitigate some of the predicted sales decline for the June quarter. Updated MacBooks could push the month of June's growth up as much as 5 percent year-over-year, according to Piper figures.
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06/11, 8:45am
MacBook Pro teardown
Pictures of the new MacBook Pro being taken out of its box and disassembled have been posted by iFixit and a blogger on TQB. The blogger's photographs indicate that the packaging of the new Pro has not changed since its predecessor. iFixit has gone in-depth, pulling apart the entire computer and analyzing the differences between current and previous-generation systems.
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06/08, 1:45pm
MacBooks at WWDC
In an unusual turn for WWDC, Apple has announced a new 15-inch MacBook Pro. While similar to the existing unibody model, the notebook now has a sealed battery with seven hours of runtime, capable of lasting five years, or 1,000 recharge cycles. The display is said to produce more vivid colors, but the ExpressCard slot is being replaced with the SD format, due to the proliferation of digital cameras. Configuration options run up to a 3GHz Core 2 Duo with 8GB of RAM, and a 500GB hard drive.
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06/01, 10:55am
MBP service extended
Service has been extended for some older MacBook Pro models, an Apple support page reveals. In an article discussing problems with absent or distorted video, Apple notes that machines based on NVIDIA's GeForce 8600M GT may now be repaired for free up to three years after purchase, even if officially out of warranty. The latest the option should be available is September 2011.
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05/29, 8:45am
SMC 1.3 update for MBP
Apple has released a v1.3 System Management Controller (SMC) update for 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pro systems. The upgrade adjusts the fan behavior of a Pro when the system is operating under high-workload conditions. Software is installed in the Applications/Utilities folder, and then launched automatically.
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05/22, 11:20am
iPhone 2009 Next-Gen CPU
The next revision of the iPhone should be characterized by a dramatic increase in processing power, an alleged scoop by veterain technology writer John Gruber says. He refers to "informed" sources who say the iPhone will jump from its existing 412MHz clock speed to 600MHz but adds that a change in architecture should lead to a disproportionately larger increase in performance. Similar to the leap from Intel's 80486 design to the Pentium, the change is large enough that the difference should be more than the 50 percent gain implied by the clock rate increase.
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